Note: This workshop is geared to oil and acrylic painters, although principles apply to all media, including watercolor and pastel.

Beginner and advanced painters alike are often overwhelmed by "where to start" in a painting. Many feel they need to paint everything they see, which is a daunting task and often does not result in a strong painting. One of the most important aspects of creating bold art is learning how to simplify - from the start. If you feel that you are concentrating too much on small details at the expense of a bolder, more dramatic outcome, this step-by-step workshop will help you to learn what to paint and more importantly, what to leave out.

The focus of this workshop will be on working with limited values to create a strong design/composition and taking color to new unexpected places. Timed exercises will be given in order to learn how to work more quickly and efficiently. This workshop will open the door to an exciting new level of creativity and artistic expression. It is open to oil, acrylic, gouache and pastel painters. Painting demonstrations will be in acrylics.
The workshop begins with a full explanation of materials, methods and a step-by-step painting demonstration

You will learn and practice how to see and simplify values, create a value sketch as a "roadmap" to a successful painting, translate values into colors, simplify - knowing what detail is important and what's not, how to achieve a bolder, more dramatic result, work with broader and fewer strokes, mix clean colors, work with a limited palette, learn the importance of grays for color harmony, and much more.

About Patti Mollica

Patti Mollica delights in painting the world around her in a bold, confident style, with hues that are vibrant, energetic and contemporary. Her work is known for its fearless use of color and expressive brushwork, while still blending a delicate balance between impressionism, abstraction and realism.

Patti has been commissioned by, and is included in the private collections of American Express, Sheraton Hotels, CBS & RCA Records, Penguin Press and many others.

Additionally, she is a Certified Teacher for Golden Paints and conducts workshops throughout the U.S., covering topics such as “Innovative Acrylic Techniques using Golden Paints”, as well as “How to Paint Fast, Loose and Bold”.

Patti’s original artwork is represented in several galleries throughout the US. Published prints and posters can be found in retail chains worldwide. Patti is the author of 3 books, “Modern Acrylics “, “Color Theory”, and “Acrylics - Getting Started”, as well as 3 instructional painting DVD’s, “Value, Brushwork, and Color Techniques”, published by Northlight Books.

Patti lives in Nyack, New York with her husband - a jazz musician, their dog, 3 cats and 4 polish chickens.